


Athraithe

by vacci_piano



Series: Omega Assassins [3]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Canonical Character Death, Gentle Sex, M/M, Multi, Omega Shay Cormac, Omega Verse, Post Mpreg, unrequited Liam/Shay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:34:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23700094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vacci_piano/pseuds/vacci_piano
Summary: Thou shalt not lust after thy enemy.
Relationships: Shay Cormac/Christopher Gist, Shay Cormac/George Monro, Shay Cormac/Liam O'Brien (one-sided), Shay Cormac/Other(s)
Series: Omega Assassins [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704466
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	Athraithe

The young Assassin watches idly as the tavern wench slips on her stays and turns her front to him, so he has better access to the strings. “Must you leave?” But he starts pulling at the strings anyway, his strength more than suited for this kind of task. He supposes that doing this daily has helped make her hands strong; a good trait to have for someone in her line of work.

“Aye. The first guests will be up soon and I need to warm up the fireplace in every rented room. Tighter, please.” He pulls until her breathing turns strained and secures the strings in place.

“I never understood why all women should be wearing these. The gentle folk I suppose I understand, but is this not damn foolishness for someone who spends her days doing bodily work?”

She laughs and climbs into his lap, her shift bunched up. He grabs her by the waist in support, and his eyes travel over her bosom, now hidden from view. She sees him eyeing her assets, all the more amused for it. “More comfortable than you might think. These ones offer support.”

He tries to scent her neck, but there is nothing to be found. “Do you ever stop taking suppressants?”

She exhales, looking slightly weary. “My work keeps me busy. I need to stay sharp. And what of you? Do you ever _take_ suppressants?”

“I see no reason to. I always make sure I'm on land by the time I'm indisposed.”

She bites her lip, looking contemplative. “That fella that was with you. I seen him looking at you.”

“He knows to keep his distance.”

“I seen alphas like him. _Had_ alphas like him.” She pats his cheek and she clambers off his lap, tying her petticoats into place. “You watch your back, now. You are lucky you came into my tavern. Not many places around here offer help to omegas. Well, the r _ight_ kind of help, and then they might not be offering. They might be taking. Maybe pass you around for extra coin.”

He does not mention his hidden blade, but almost offers her his services; then he thinks better of it. If she needed his help, she'd be asking; his many weapons he carries everywhere can attest to what he can achieve. Instead, he gets up from the bed and fishes out coins from the pockets of his rumpled coat thrown haphazardly over a chair. He makes to give them to her but she shakes her head. “I meant it what I said about luck.”

“I make my own luck.” Then he dips to give her one last kiss and slips the coins into her hand anyway, closing her fist around them with his. She smiles into the kiss and they part, ready to go back to their lives.

*

Liam is waiting for him when he gets back to the docks. Before he can make it inside his cabin, Liam takes him by the shoulders and buries his face into Shay's neck, engulfing himself with the omega’s scent.

“Liam...” Shay begins wearily. Liam's grasp turns almost painful, but then he lets go and steps back.

“I wish you would let me take care of you.” He looks angry, but when Shay says nothing, his frown eases and he rubs at his eyes. “Sorry. I did not mean to...” He gives a big sigh and turns away from Shay, looking ashamed. “I am getting worse, am I not? Christ. I am sorry.”

Shay claps him on the shoulder in solidarity. “I know. I am sorry too.”

Now it is Liam's turn to look annoyed. “You have nothing to be sorry for. This is my problem, not yours. You and I are friends, and I owe it to you to get better. Just...” He draws in close again and lets his fingers brush against Shay's neck. “If you ever change your mind.”

“I know.” Then Shay steps away and tells Liam to get some rest; it is obvious the alpha has not been sleeping.

*

Sometimes Liam is fine, when the heats come. They have been friends longer than they have been Assassins, depending on each other's company during missions. It is only when they travel for longer periods of time that it gets difficult, when their scents mingle into one... That is when Liam gets confused. Thankfully it never lasts, though lately it has been getting worse.

Shay has thought about taking suppressants - of course he has - but too many times the medicine ended up being faulty, leaving him ill and bedbound for days. He has heard of this happening to some. Liam made him promise to give them up - a few days of discomfort on Liam's part is a small price to pay for Shay's health - and this is why they are best friends.

Shay would give Liam anything he asked for, just not this one thing. He has never felt any attraction towards the alpha. A bond would make him a willing bedmate, but it would not be enough; it would leave Liam resentful, and Shay would not be himself.

When his heats come, Liam escorts him to the nearest available help, not trusting the omega to be by himself so close to fever and stays by Shay’s side until they have found the right kind of company. These days it takes Liam a lot longer to leave.

When they are back at Homestead, unknown to Shay, Liam asks time away from the omega. Achilles agrees it is for the best.

*

Liam thinks back on this one request that changed everything. Had it been denied, if the alpha could have endured, maybe Shay would have retained one ally in the ensuing chaos. Maybe, they would have put more weight to Shay’s rage and warning and their lives would have been spared.

*

When the betrayal comes and Shay is plunged into the cold depths of his watery grave, it is not just the destruction of Lisbon and its people that haunt him; there is also Liam, as he chases Shay to the cliff with a gun in his hand, and were Shay not already dying, he would want to die again.

Liam watches Shay’s last moments in despair, fraught with guilt. The alpha should have never shied away from what his body was telling him. If he had been Shay's alpha, the omega's confusion could have been contained, could have been given direction. They say the need to please one's bonded mate can be intense.

Liam sinks into the snow, anguish turning into rage when Chevalier opens his mouth; the wisps of smoke from the barrel of the man's gun would have been enough evidence for his deed even without his petty words. Only Hope and Achilles keep him from pummeling the smug bastard into the ground; one Assassin lost is enough, _too much_ , they need not add two more to the tally.

He tries to remind himself that this was always a possibility. The Creed takes everything and gives almost nothing back; such are the rules of war. Shay had the misfortune of being taken away sooner than expected, but the odds of him dying of old age were never great to begin with.

Skill and luck. That is all it takes to stay alive. He tries to convince himself even as he gazes at the water, regret weighing heavily on his mind.

*

It is Hope who Liam ends up confiding in. Before, they used to commiserate about the object of their affections, waiting for Shay to turn up for training, running late as he often was.

The confession comes easy. She assures him his pain will pass. It is only because his alpha side had chosen Shay as his mate that he feels so shaken, like something is pulling him towards... What, exactly? He has nowhere to be, no-one to chase. Pre-bonds are easier to break from if only one of them feels its influence; its dissolution is inevitable when only one of them is breathing.

It should have taken mere weeks, but it is months later - too many - that Liam feels the last of his ties snap away, like a string that has been pulled too taut. He can finally have peace.

*

Shay's recovery is slow and painful. The Finnegans tell him about the man who tended to his wounds. It is likely The Manuscript is with him, if it does not lie in the bottom of the ocean.

The few accusations Shay throws at Colonel George Monro are swiftly and expertly met by a voice that doesn’t rouse in anger. It dawns on Shay merely moments after their introduction, how the colonel might have amassed support to get where he is; the alpha is charisma itself. His manners speak of that calmness and determination, that belong to men who are long used to danger, and facing it well.

Shay is all eagerness, when Monro visits the Finnegans and enlists Shay’s help again, after their first collaboration bears fruit. It should concern him, the way he preens under Monro’s attention; perhaps he might have taken note of his own behavior, had he been treated better by the Assassins. The kind of trust Monro bestows upon him is foreign, and all the more dangerous for it.

He likes Gist well enough, but the omega suffers a small bout of irritation when he takes in how closely Monro and Gist seem to be aligned. He wonders at himself, not ready to admit why he should be feeling this way.

He feels grateful, that the man he owes a debt to – for saving his life and putting him in the care of kind individuals – is also the means by which he can start to repay for the lives he cost in Lisbon. There are matters which need discussing and he will not feel true ease until he has revealed all. Secrets kept when knowledge should be shared, gives way to disaster. This, he knows better than anyone.

*

Shay is caught staring, when he pays too much attention to Monro’s eyes and the windburnt skin. The creases on the older man’s face that serve to make the alpha more appealing; Shay _wants_ but dares not approach, wary of his own past and the alpha’s affiliations, and because he does not want to disappoint. Until now, he has observed from afar.

Monro steps into his space with careful movements, coaxing Shay’s surrender, like he were a frightened animal in need of rescuing. All the while Shay distracts himself with thoughts of how it is a bit late in life to have this kind of awakening, is it not? But it will not do. He will not be robbed of this moment. He could allow the colonel to take the lead, but Shay is not the kind of person to leave the choice to someone else. He can manage a kiss, at the very least; after that, he will gladly accept any guidance the alpha might have in mind for the omega in bed.

If the alpha is surprised when Shay lays claim to his lips, it is not reflected in his demeanor or actions. He welcomes Shay with the kind of warmth and gentleness Shay has never experienced before, taking his time when removing both their clothes, and then lays Shay down, to better explore the younger man’s body. The kisses against Shay’s every scar aren’t deep, just barely there touches of lips against skin, but they are many and serve to drive Shay mad and leave him trembling with need.

So _this_ is the kind of cruelty the colonel is capable of. Shay groans, frustrated beyond reason when the alpha kisses his inner thigh. Somehow the action is everything and not enough; a thousand of these and Shay will perish. He tells the alpha as much, but his words fall on deaf ears. Later, when the alpha is inside him, Shay is both denied completion and expertly taken apart. Too long does the alpha torture him. When it is finally allowed to take place, his completion takes him by surprise - the way it keeps building before washing over him in waves - its force such that it robs him of words and all coherent thought. He is too drained to complain, in full knowledge that he will be asking for the same treatment again; he will _throb_ for it.

*

Shay would tease himself, were he in Gist's position and in full view of the omega's disheveled appearance - their ships had slept close, and Shay did not make it in time to his own quarters before the sun was up - but Gist says nothing. His laugh and jovial tone when discussing their mission tells Shay enough about Gist's thoughts on the matter. A feeling of immense relief settles over Shay, after.

Nothing prepares him for when Gist takes to teasing Monro instead, when the alpha boards their ship. The colonel sighs and shakes his head, annoyed by his two companions behaving like youth when he hears Shay's badly stifled laughter. This provokes general hilarity among the onlooking crew, when Gist takes his teasing further. Monro's only respite is that his own men are not here to bear witness.

*

The first time Shay does not seek outside company for his heat, he gladly surrenders himself to George's care. It is both everything and nothing like he expected. The way George takes care of him is intimate in a wholly different way, than what he has grown accustomed to in the company of bar wenches and the odd nun. His past dalliances are nothing to complain about; they were good, when he did not have _this_ to compare them to. It should surprise him that their half-bond goes both ways, but the colonel is a honorable man. He would not have sought Shay’s company repeatedly, if he did not intend to commit. But does he? Colonel Monro is often kept busy; he has his men to take care of. That he has granted Shay so much of his time is unexpected and has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated by the omega.

Shay is uncaring for the difference in their age; he is old enough to know what he wants, and what he _desires_ is to ask George for the bite properly, when they are not swayed by pheromones. The colonel may yet turn him away; God knows what the alpha sees in the omega. In the meantime, he welcomes the colonel's kisses with fervour.

*

Liam feels the echoes of his fledgling of a bond that never was, when he hears news of Shay.

Colonel George Monro's death is a miserable one, leaving all three grieving. With this act, Liam has severed any kindness Shay might have felt towards his former friend. George has to leave his friend and lover behind, but there is still something he can do for Shay; his ring will secure allies. Shay accepts it, heart in pieces.

*

When the culmination of their chaos has come to pass, Achilles is willing to let Shay go. Liam has no such notion.

At least Shay now knows the alpha never meant to betray him; the gunshot did not come from Liam. It matters little, because Shay has betrayed _them_. Nothing will save the omega from Liam's spite. Shay welcomes it.

If the lucky fall had not been responsible for Liam now dying in a puddle of blood, ice melting against his rapidly cooling back, "would you have killed me?" And then, because the alpha needs to know, “Why _him_?”

“I do not want you,” Shay gasps out, angry that this might have been the deciding factor in George meeting such a cruel end, “I never did. I could live a thousand lifetimes, and I would choose Monro every time, with or without you in my life.”

*

Haytham has come to mean more than Shay expected, the alpha's presence soothing him, like a compass is akin to a ship lost at sea. There was a time when he thought there might have been something between them, but it did not come to pass. He was still in mourning.

Truth be told, Shay was surprised to learn of Haytham's bonded; he always thought Haytham was more into alphas in practice, as evidenced by his entanglements with Holden and Ziio. Lee. There had been the odd rumour about Birch, too, but Haytham never talks about it; for good reason, if the hatred for the former Grandmaster proved just.

To learn that Haytham had gone for an omega had been a bigger reveal than the identity of said omega. Being Haytham's ally, one of the few still left, Shay is trusted with the entirety of the delicate situation.

Shay has never shied away from the truth, and so it is for the best that Haytham knows what he is facing. “The Order is not happy with what you are doing in the Colonies. That you have managed to strike up a rapport with The Company Man might have been your only saving grace.”

“I suppose they have sent you, to see if I am to be hunted down, or left to plot on my own.”

Shay gives a wry smile and their glasses clink together. The wine goes down smoothly. Haytham talks about his plans, and Shay listens with an attentive ear, asking questions here and there. What is said here today is said in confidence and will remain so. Shay might be the best bloodhound the Templar Order have at their disposal, but he is loyal to Haytham. He has seen what happens to those who follow orders blindly. Haytham's curse is to see more than he cares to, and through him, what is hidden, has often been made visible for Shay also.

It is a while later, and more than a few drinks have been shared between comrades, when Gist enters the room. He thumps Haytham in the back in greeting and Haytham nearly chokes from the force of it. For a bunch of old men, they certainly give doubt to what is considered frail.

“Do not tell me you left our son on the ship by himself? If Morrigan sinks to her grave, I am holding you responsible.” Gist has the decency to look sheepish but placates Shay's concerns with a well-placed kiss to his temple. It will not do, to fluster his omega in front of company – since their son is not here to be embarrassed – with anything more thorough than that, not at their age. Haytham pours Gist a glass, happy his night will be spent with another trusted friend by his side.

*

translations:

Athraithe = changed

**Author's Note:**

> Shay has a ridiculous amount of suitors for being in a game with 20 hours of gameplay. At least he got the nice boat ending.


End file.
